Thanks for 35 GREAT years

More to come and an invitation to you…

Landmark owner Kirk Davis and his daughter, Skylar. Dear Readers:

In this issue of The Landmark, we reflect on 35 years of service to the wonderful communities of Holden, Rutland, Princeton, Sterling and Paxton. If this were a 35th wedding anniversary, perhaps a coral necklace would be in order. Since we’re talking about a newspaper anniversary, I’ll just share a story or two.

Before I wax poetic about 35 years, and believe me it won’t be that poetic (I’m no Jim Keogh, our former editor), let me say right upfront that I’ve only owned the paper for a decade now. The Landmark’s first quarter century was brought to you courtesy of Joanne Root and many special employees along the way. That’s right, Joanne started this award-winning community newspaper 35 years ago.

From everything I’ve learned about that era, and everything I know about community newspapering today, we should all appreciate her vision for this newspaper. The Landmark has told the story of our lives in this region for 3 ½ decades – through good times and bad, always proudly and continuously.

As for me, I met Joanne early in 2001. About a month after 9/11/01, I nervously greeted Landmark employees as the new owner. There was a bit more than the typical fall chill in the air that day, but that’s the nature of a change in ownership that comes unexpectedly. I had recently resigned my position as president of a large community newspaper group with 120 newspapers to own just one newspaper — The Landmark. For me, it remains one of the most exciting days of my life.

Without betraying any confidences, Joanne was tough and fair when we discussed my purchase of the paper, tough and fair in her assessment of our work thereafter, and as our landlord, tough and fair on the more mundane matters, such as when our office building needed to be painted. I would have always preferred to wait another year between paint jobs and suspect she felt I was a year late when I got around to it. On those rare occasionsasions when we both were prepared to fightight to the death – perhaps over paving the driveway or something like that, I conceded, because she built this newspaper.

Indeed, Joanne has always been tough and fair, and may I add, REMARKABLE.

You are holding the largest paid weekly newspaper in Central Massachusetts, which is also among the top 10 largest paid weekly newspapers in the state. Make no mistake about it, the fact that we’ve earned the trust of so many subscribers has always been one of the reasons this newspaper is so successful. The combination of our many thousands of readers and the many hundreds of local advertisers, who desire to reach them, has comprised a sustainable business formula. As Joanne and I can both attest, community publishing won’t make anybody rich, but neither Joanne nor I ever had such a notion. If that’s one’s objective for being a community newspaper owner, you should pick another business. That’s not to say, however, that one can’t find “riches” in the emotional fulfillment derived from community publishing. If that’s the measure, we’re both feeling very rich. For me, the past 10 years have been incredibly rewarding. I feel truly blessed to be affiliated with such dedicated employees, including the many employees who came before them.

Looking ahead, The Landmark has the potential to provide a great service to its communities – in print and online – for decades to come. At still less than $1 a week for a subscription that’s delivered by mail to your home, there’s a tremendous opportunity here. And what a beautiful region to serve!

My business partner and the paper’s publisher, Gareth Charter, and I often think about what the next decade will be like. Now and then we discuss this romantic idea of local business leaders and residents working hand-in-hand to craft the paper’s future. We envision more community involvement from young and old alike. We think about the talent within this business community and how that talent could contribute to the growth, creativity and expansion of this local institution, and how it serves its constituents.

While Gareth and I both hope to be involved in this newspaper’s future for at least another decade, we strongly desire for the next 10 years to reflect more of a community partnership than ever before. This could lead to many interesting ways to involve readers, advertisers and potentially, even investors who have a big stake in these towns. No doubt the future will require investment, but frankly that excites us.

If I could have a cup of coffee with every reader and advertiser of this newspaper, let’s say all supporters, I’d seek to glean your best ideas for building the most special media company and public trust that could be found in any community in America. Now that’s not realistic to meet with every reader and advertiser given your busy schedules, so let’s simplify…

If you have thoughts to share, I’m here, and hope to be for 35 more years.